The Niger State Police Command has announced major operational successes recorded in July 2026, including the arrest of 71 suspects for offences ranging from kidnapping and armed robbery to child trafficking, fraud and thuggery, alongside the recovery of 10 AK rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Commissioner of Police, CP Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, disclosed this on Thursday during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters in Minna, where he presented a summary of the Command’s achievements for the month.
According to the police chief, the successes were recorded through intelligence-led policing, strategic deployment of tactical teams, aggressive patrols, raids on criminal hideouts and sustained collaboration with members of the public.
Among the major breakthroughs was the arrest of six suspected members of a notorious kidnapping syndicate allegedly responsible for a series of abductions and killings across Gauraka, Garam, Chachi, Ijah-Gwari, Ijah-Koro, Kaduna Road, Kubwa and Bwari.
The police said the alleged gang leader, Samaila Shefiu, popularly known as “Yakumujuri,” was arrested through technical intelligence after initially escaping during a gun battle with operatives. His arrest subsequently led to the rescue of three kidnapped victims, the arrest of five additional gang members and the recovery of 10 AK rifles, magazines and large quantities of live ammunition.
Investigations also linked the gang to several kidnapping operations, including one in which a kidnapped victim’s son was allegedly killed after ransom negotiations.
In another operation, police intercepted a suspect transporting five AK-47 magazines and 185 rounds of live ammunition concealed inside a bag of cement along the Tegina axis. The suspect was arrested and is assisting investigators.
The Command also uncovered a suspected forgery syndicate following the arrest of a man accused of producing fake National Identification Number (NIN) cards and Permanent Voter Cards for residents in parts of the state. Officers recovered 105 fake NIN cards and 189 fake voter cards, while the suspect allegedly confessed to producing forged documents for more than 1,000 people.
The briefing further highlighted the arrest of armed robbery suspects involved in attacks on travellers, the recovery of stolen motorcycles and vehicles, the dismantling of criminal gangs engaged in phone snatching, POS fraud, cattle rustling and theft, as well as multiple raids on criminal hideouts across Minna and other parts of the state.
Police also rescued nine children believed to be victims of trafficking and reunited them with their families, while detectives recovered a four-week-old baby allegedly abducted in Minna after arresting two suspects linked to the crime.
Other operations led to the arrest of suspected cultists and violent thugs, the recovery of dangerous weapons and illicit drugs, and the interception of stolen livestock before they could be transported out of the state.
Providing a breakdown of the Command’s achievements, CP Elleman said officers arrested 71 suspects, recovered 10 AK rifles, 15 magazines and 330 rounds of ammunition, rescued nine trafficked children and one abducted baby, recovered 17 stolen goats, four cows, three motorcycles and two vehicles.
He added that police also seized fake identity documents, POS machines, ATM cards, mobile phones, suspected cannabis, tramadol, dangerous weapons, cash and other exhibits connected to criminal activities.
The Commissioner reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to intelligence-driven policing and proactive crime prevention, urging residents to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information to sustain the fight against crime across Niger State.
